Kaleidoscopic Animation Personified?
When it announced itself onto the cinematic stage back in 2018, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse rather broke the mould of the sneered perception of how superhero films are critically received and rather acted as the radioactive arachnid that comes to bite our relatable hero; a spider-bite that made Hollywood and naysayers flinch. Indeed, what was presumed to be another formulaic hero flick within the enthralling yet critically belittled compendium of Marvel cinematic features, what we got instead from both Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman was a fresh visual-verve that flattened arguments that films of this ilk had to choose between pathos and humour. With ease and florescent flourish, it showed how the gap could be bridged between what resides in the pages of a comic-books and what’s plausible to create on the silver-screen. Furthermore, it quashed silly notions and doubts that animation couldn’t occupy within the mainstream and how vivid and imaginative attempts such as Into The Spider-Verse shouldn’t cower under the shadow of Disney’s fairy-tale castle. Yet, when this feature of Across The Spider-Verse was still looming, and now is in fact upon our viewing gaze, there’s still questions to answer amid its reveal and the weight of expectation it now holds after the adhered success the first film received. Truly, is it possible to equal a film as boundlessly inventive, stylistically bold and calmly cool as Into The Spider-Verse? Could a sequel, in the form of Across The Spider-Verse, seemingly match or provide exciting visuals that are akin to the fresh animated fantasia that the first feature provided?…
Miles Morales, the one and only Spider-Man of his world, discovers that all of his interdimensional shenanigans from the previous film have started to untether the delicate web of reality. From this realisation, Miles catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of many different Spider-people charged with protecting its very existence. Enter Spider-Man 2099, a determined and vindictive spider-individual from a futuristic dimension who fronts this cause of protecting the Multiverse and takes it upon himself to start patching-up the anomalies. However, when the heroes clash over a new threat and a realisation that seemingly pivots all the different Spider-people together, Miles must redefine what it means to be Spider-Man…
Across the Spider-Verse, much like its predecessor, treats its multiverse premise as a genuine creative challenge. There are cameos, gags, and visual references that draw from every corner and era of Spidey culture which are all threaded into one overwhelming and plotted story-line that can see frantic to say the least. This second instalment features a plethora of Spidey’s and the result is as crazily frantic and eyeball-frazzling as ever, but with something exhausting about it now. Personally, as much as I’m more inclined to like the premise/narrative format of this feature in comparison to Into The Spider-Verse – as the first feature circulated its assertion around Miles’ rise in becoming Spider-Man which felt like treading over familiar ground – it can’t be denied however that much of the story threads and ideas they introduce to our viewing pleasure can, at times, feel inordinate to comprehend; especially when Miles first jets across the Multiverse to be greeted by not only the charming and charismatic Pavitr Prabhakar, also known as Spider-Man India who descends from a Mumbai world, but also the Spider-Punk anarchist in Hobie Brown who rather accentuates the chaos that unfolds. Much of this eye-ball frazzling of the visual style and the craziness that ensues later in the story is thankfully alleviated with quieter scenes of poignancy and character building. These sequences are a welcoming addition amongst the fray, but not only due to the notion that they nicely break-up the more frenzied moments, but how they build-upon the characters from what we knew of them from the first film. Naturally, whilst the central focus of the story is underpinned on Miles’ point of view and the ordeals he endeavours, especially for the concluding moments and a satisfying moment between both Miles and his mother mid-way-through, it’s arguable to claim that much of the more moving moments of Across The Spider-Verse circulate around the character of Gwen Stacy and how she inevitably assists Miguel O’hara in jumping through different dimensions to fix the Multiverse. Indeed, much to my own surprise and wonderment, the introduction of the film rather subverted my own expectations and rather fleshed-out the character of Gwen in a satisfying manner. The crux of her relationship with her own dad, as a police captain, blossoms into scenarios and instances that wonderfully elevated by the use of colour and how the colour shifts and moulds in relation to either character actions or the framing of the camera. Of course, we’re also introduced to a great many Spider-people and while it’s absurd to comprehend the vast amount of different Spidey’s, it’s a detour from the norm which equally paints-us a message to grasp about the mythology of Spider-Man. With their being so many different Spider-people and clear themes of ‘self-recognition’, this film, alongside the previous entry and No Way Home to some extent, rather hyper-amplifies the forever existing metaphor of identity in Stan Lee’s creation. As seen a great many times in different mediums of comics, animated shows and films, Peter Parker was unable to “come out” as Spider-Man to his parents or his friends; his Spidey-ness was a core part of his bodily being, a superpower and yet a burden, introduced into his bloodstream from that spider bite. Now this secret is upgraded to a cosmic range of possibilities; to be Spider-Man is no longer to be alone, rather, it is to be part of a global range of Spider-people who are different. It’s now a case where different audiences of all ages and backgrounds are now given a vast choice of how to identify with Spider-Man; rather than through the normal scope of Peter Parker. By introducing so many different Spider-people, it gives everyone an option of which Spider-Man/Woman they can relate and share their feelings around.
Into the Spider-Verse’s comic book style – with its split-screen panels, cross-hatches, and comic-esque dialogue bubbles – has since been copied across the rest of mainstream animation, most notably in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. It’s to no surprise that Across The Spider-Verse wholeheartedly readdresses the legacy that the last feature fulfilled within its kaleidoscopically detailed animation. As much as there is an argument to be made of the fact that this is the first superhero film of its kind to cater back to its routes in implementing an artistic style that advocates to pop and bold artistry of comic books, it’s the manner in which the directors of Dos Santos, Powers and Thompson have boldly dared to push the visual boundaries of what was possible. With the story going from one dimension/world to the other in a flash, the film seemingly reinvents its own look; providing audiences with a viewing pleasure that films of recent history haven’t ventured in. As hinted before, one of the more striking and most memorable dimensions that elude this point is that Gwen Stacey’s own world where we get to gaze at a world filled fluorescent yet impressionistic environments filled with hues of pinks, purples and blues. To highlight further, the films specific use of colour in particular is something which I was magnetized to straight-away and uncanny it’s used to convey both action and tone. Spider-Gwen’s world specifically constantly shifts between the aforementioned colours and wonderfully reacts to the emotional undercurrent of an action or given sequence. Certainly, it’s truly evocative of what we perceive in Japanese animation – that of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – where sudden and dramatic shifts in colour pallet underscore the subtext of a scene and heighten the emotional stakes. This, combined with the benevolent use of the apt soundtrack and the manner in which the animation goes beyond the call of duty in retrospect to how much they use more comic-book artistry within the film – such as the use of a visual parentheses to clarify certain actions/dialogue in what they mean (such as when Hobie uses British Slang which is quickly defined in a visual way – the animation fidelity is truly a marvel (mind the pun) to behold; especially when the film warrants you to spot every detail it throws at you at a hasty speed.
Amidst the fact that this is indeed the first part of a grander plot-line – which was evident with the how the ending events felt abrupt to acknowledge and overdoing it with cliff-hangers – and how some sequences/scenes can last a little too long for its own good, the praise for Across The Spider-Verse is certainly there to be admired. It’s a sequel that does things right, taking the first films foundations and bringing with it something to build up and enjoy to the full extent. That bold and beautiful art has been refined to near perfection, and does so much storytelling alone that it’s almost enough to go see it just for that in theatre. But the movie integrates story, morals, comedy, nostalgia, and action to a degree that really feels like some of the strongest storytelling in a superhero film.
On that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s anime review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest film review of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read! If anyone has an opinion on either my review or the film itself, you’re more than welcome to share your thoughts down below. Thank you once again for reading my latest Blog Post and I hope you all have a nice weekend! Adieu!
★★★★ – Alex Rabbitte